Building having air inlet



Nov. 25, 1958 N. L. LIEBE RMAN 2,361,447

BUILDING HAVING AIR INLET Filed June 24. 1954 gal A INVEN TOR. Mar/aw L LIBPMAN 477OPNEY 2,861,447 BUILDING HAVING Am INLET Nathan L. Lieberman, New York, N. Y., assignor of thirty-three and one-third percent to Jacob Friedman and thirty-three and one-third percent to Harry Epstein, both of New York, N. Y.

Application June 24, 1954, Serial No. 439,041

4 Claims. (Cl. 72-16) This invention relates to a building having an air inlet.

Resort currently is had to many expedients for conducting fresh air from the exterior to the interior of a building. These include, for example, window openings, continuous air ducts which run from floor to floor, air ducts which extend horizontally from the exterior facade to individual rooms, and forced ventilation of rooms with fans and compressors. Such constructions are subject to various drawbacks. For instance, some require elaborate accessory equipment like ducts, pipes, scuppers, wiring, unusual openings etc.; some do not follow the natural flow of air; all but the most elaborate permit direct invasion of rain, wind, and the like into the room; and some are unsightly and others quite expensive.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a building with an air inlet which avoids the foregoing drawbacks, is particularly easy to install, constitutes very few and simple additional elements in a building, does not require elaborate accessory equipment, permits the air to flow naturally from a lower entry port to a higher discharge port, locates the entry port in such fashion that not only is said port concealed from sight at the exterior of the building but the entry of unwanted atmospheric conditions into the room is prevented, is readily adapted to be controlled by dampers or other simple equipment, and lends itself to use in connection with the supply of fresh air for air conditioning systems.

Other objects of my invention'will in part be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

My invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which are shown various possible embodiments of my invention,

Fig. l is a fragmentary sectional view through a building wall having an air inlet constructed in accordance with my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views substantially similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating constructions embodying modified forms of my invention.

. Referring now in detail to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 through 4, the reference numeral 10 denotes a building having a structural steel skeleton frame 12 and a curtain wall 14. This type of building has been illustrated herein simply by way of example and it is to be understood that my invention also can be used elfectively in a building having a load bearing wall or in a wood frame building or in a building having a skeleton concrete fireproof construction.

atent As is usual, the steel frameincludes spandrel beams 16 which extend between vertical steel columns (not shown) at the perimeter of the building. The spandrel beams customarily are embedded in a concrete casing 18 which runs into a concrete floor slab 20 at about the level of the upper flange of the spandrel. The spandrel beam may be any standard rolled section such as an I- beam, a channel beam, or a built-up member, etc., an L beam having been illustrated herein.

The wall 14 is carried by the spandrels. A typical Wall consists of masonry and usually constitutes bricks 22 applied as a facing over .a partition 24 of concrete or other suitable backing. The wall is impierced at suitable locations in the story 23 below the floor 20 to receive window frames 26 of standard construction. The window frames are set back from the exterior face of the wall to provide thereby recesses 27 known in the building trade as reveals. The wall over the window opening is supported by a lintel 28 which is suitably connected to the nearby spandrel beam 16. As shown in the building being described the lintel is attached, as by welding, riveting or bolting, to spaced clip angles 30 which in turn are secured, as by welding, riveting or bolting, to the lower flange 32 of the spandrel beam.

As thus far described the building construction is entirely conventional and only has been recited in detail to facilitate understanding of my invention.

Pursuant to said invention, I provide in a building construction an air inlet having a substantially horizontal entry port at the top of a window reveal, the inlet extending vertically upwardly and at least in part being disposed within the building wall. The exit port is located in the story directly above the story in which the reveal is provided.

More particularly referring to Fig. 1, I provide an air inlet 34 having an entry port 36 constituting a plurality of openings 38 in the horizontal leg of the lintel 28 which constitutes part of the top side of the reveal 27. The face bricks 22 in the building wall directly above the perforated leg of the lintel are hollow, each bn'ck being formed with a through vertically extending opening 40 which is elongated in a horizontal direction (see Figs. 2 and 3). As is customary, the bricks are staggered. However, due to the elongation of the openings 40 a continuous upwardly extending vertical passageway 41 is provided whose lower end constitutes the entry port 36 aforesaid.

The passageway 41 extends vertically upwardly from the lintel to a point above the floor 20 immediately above the story in which the reveal is provided. The top end of said passageway is suitably defined as by a course of imperforate brick. The upper end of the air inlet 34 suitably communicates with the compartment 42, e. g. a room, in the story immediately above the story containing the lintel 28. For instance, one or a few courses of the hollow face bricks are provided with openings 44 (see Figs. 1 and 4) at their inner side walls. These openings are in registry with a horizontal passageway 46 in the partition 24, the outer terminus of said passageway constituting the exit port of the air inlet.

It will be seen that air flows naturally through. the inlet 34, the cold air entering through the port 36 and flowing upwardly as it is warmed by the building wall. The lo cation of the entry port at the top side of the reveal 27 conceals said port from sight on the exterior of the building, and because the port faces downwardly prevents the entry of dirt, rain, wind, etc. The inlet 34 does not require any additional parts but merely a slight modification of a conventional lintel and the use of hollow brick in a special location during erection of the building. Moreover, no additional expense is enta'led in the in- 9 stallation of said inlet except for the selection or preparation of the particular type of brick by the mason when fabricating the wall.

The inletcan be'employed to. admit fresh air for ventilating purposes if itisznot desired to open awindow or to employ force feeds, ducts or the like. Alternatively the inlet canz-be utilized as a source :of fresh air for an air conditioning installation.

It will be understood that azconventional damper can be employed to prevent entry ofaair through the inlet except when desired.

In Fig. I have illustrated an alternative form of building construction 19' showing a modifiedarrangementof my invention in which less .ho'llowbrick is employed. All building parts in this .figure'which are similar to the parts shown in Fig. .l are denoted by thesame. reference numerals primed.

In this construction the air inlet 34' includes only a short vertical passageway 41'-extending through the H01- low bricks 22 from the entry port 36" in the lintel 28 to the rearwardly extending opening 44' at the upper end of said passageway. Said opening 44 communicates with the bottom end of a second vertical passageway 48 which runs upwardly from the opening andis lo'ca'ted in the wall 14 and, more particularly, in theconcrete backing 24 for the face bricks. The front of the passageway 48 constitutes the back of the face bricks and the rear of the passageway is formed by the concrete encasing 18' for the spandrel 16'. The upper flange of the spandrel is notched to provide space for the passageway-48. The passageway 48 extends upwardly to a regionabove-the floor 20 of the story immediately over the storyin'which the reveal 27' is located. The top of saidpassageway communicates with a horizontal ductSO-leading to the room 42, the duct optionally passing, as shown, beneath a recessed radiator 52. Flow of air throughthe duct 50 may be regulated by a damper 54; 'Said damper can be controlled in any suitable manner as, for example, by a handle 56 connected tothe damper and extending into the room 42'.

The portion of the wall constituted by the bricks 22' in front of the passageway '48 is anchored by strips 57 running back to the concrete encasing 18'.

In Fig. 6 I have shown another modified form of'my invention which eliminates the need for hollow bricks or a perforated lintel. All parts in this figure which'are similar to parts shown in Fig. l are denoted by the same reference numerals double primed.

The lintel 28" in the building 143" is secured to the vertical flanges of the clip-angles 3%" by bolts 58, said lintel being spaced from the clip-angles by sleeves 60 through which the shanks of the bolts pass. The reveal 27" is thus provided at the inner side of the lintel witha slot 62 which forms the entry port 36" for the. air inlet 34". Accordingly said entry port takes on the form of a vertical passageway 64 that extends upwardly through the concrete partition 24", running between the backsof the face bricks 22" and the. outer face concrete casing 18" for the spandrel beam. The upper and lower flanges of the spandrel are notched to provide space for'said passageway. The upper end. of the passageway communicate with a horizontal exit passageway 46" in the room 42 in the story directly above the story 23" in which thereveal 27" is provided. It will be observed that in this latter form of my invention all of the face bricks 22" may be imperforate.

The face bricks in front of the passageway 64 are secured by anchoring strips 57".

It thus will be seen that there is provided a construction which achieves the several object of the invention and is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understoodtthat all matterherein described, or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new i and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In combinationina building-having a wall, two immediately adjacent stories, a floor between said stories, and an openingframe in the wall of the lower story, said frame being set back from-the exterior face of the wall to provide a reveal on the-exterior side 0f the frame; means providingapassageway-havinga downwardly facing entry portat the top-of the' reveal and an-exit port in the interior of said upper s'tory.

2. A combination 'as set forth in claim '1 wherein a lintel extendsacrossthe top-of the reveal, said lintel having openings therein, courses-of bricks extending upwardly from *the lintel and forming part of the wall, said bricks having registered vertical openings-therein inregistr-y with theopenings in the lintel so as to provide a vertical section of the passageway extending upwardly from the lintel, certain of said bricks at the level of the lower portion of the upper story and-adjacent the interior ofthe upper story having horizontal openings therein to form the exit port 'connected to the vertical section of the'pa'ssagewa-y;

3; A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein a lintel extends across the top of the reveal, said lintel'ha'w ing openings therein, courses of 'bricks extending upwardly from the lintel and forming part of the wall, said bricks having registered vertical openings therein in registry with the openings in the "lintel so as to provide a vertical section of the passageway extending upwardly from the lintel and terminating beneath the upper story, a second vertical section of said passageway offset from the first vertical section, connected to the upper end thereofand in back of the courses of brick, said second vertical section extending upwardly to a level above the floor of the upper story, and a horizontal section of the passageway running from the second vertical section'to the exit port.

4. A combination as set forth in claim '1 wherein a spandrel at least in part supports said wall and wherein a lintel constitutes at least in part the top of the reveal, means supporting the lintel from the spandrel in spaced relationship thereto so as to provide a' substantially horizontal elongated opening therebetween constituting the downwardly facing entry port of the passageway.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 399,437 Rew Mar. 12, 1889, 769,257 Ewing Sept. 6, 1904 1,757,886 Weinheim'er etal. May 6, 1930 2,432,354 Temple Dec. 9, I947 FOREIGN PATENTS 7,886 Great Britain 19'15 

